Guest Reading Shortlist 7.4.14: Qiana Mestrich

© Mark Cohen, Untitled (girls' faces flashed in bus window), 1973, from Artificial Light: Flash Photography in the
Twentieth Century at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Reading Shortlist is an occasional post with an eclectic listing of recommended sites, readings and links. A recommendation does not necessarily suggest an agreement with the contents of the post. For previous shortlists, please visit the site links page.

Today's guest for Reading Shortlist is Qiana Mestrich.

Mestrich is a photo-based visual artist and writer from Brooklyn, NY. As a person of mixed cultures (Panamanian and Croatian), Mestrich's work is autobiographical and seeks to establish a heritage lost through generations of emigration.

Mestrich has worked professionally for over thirteen years as a digital media professional doing content management and online marketing (SEO and social media) for large corporations. In 2007, a desire to merge her work experience and interest in photography led her to start the blog Dodge & Burn: Diversity in Photography History. Profiling photographers of color, the blog seeks to record a more inclusive photography history, featuring contributions to the medium by underrepresented cultures. The blog is integral to her fine art practice.

In 2012, she co-edited the book How We Do Both: Art and Motherhood (Secretary Press), a diverse collection of honest responses from contemporary artists who have walked—and are still walking—the tenuous tightrope of motherhood and making art. Mestrich is a 2013 graduate of the ICP-Bard College MFA in Advanced Photographic Practice and received her B.A. with a concentration in photography from Sarah Lawrence College in 1999.

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Audio Arts Archive at Tate.org
Created in 1972, Audio Arts recorded artist interviews and sound art on cassette tapes. You can listen to all 24 volumes on the Tate website, featuring work and words from Duchamp, Abramovic, Richter, Stella, Warhol and so many more.

Slideshare Presentation: Meet Generation Z
I love Slideshare mostly for its presentations uploaded by digital marketers around the world. This is a recent presentation that got me to click through to every slide and left me feeling like this youngest generation of Americans may be more compassionate and intelligent than any other before them.

Artificial Light: Flash Photography in the Twentieth Century
As a photographer I've always preferred natural light, mostly because of my extreme fear of the garish quality of flash. This exhibition currently on view through August 3, 2014 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art shows diverse examples of flash photography from (some surprising) masters of the strobe like Weegee, Parks, Moriyama, Mapplethorpe and others.

Stuart Hall Essay: Cultural Identity and Diaspora (PDF)
Jamaican/British cultural theorist Stuart Hall passed away in February of this year, but he left behind a legacy of critical writings, recordings and interviews around the uneasy subject of identity. As a person of mixed heritage who actively engages the never-ending questions about identity in my own artwork, this short essay is crucial and I can see myself reading it at least once a year.

Still from Lupita Nyong'o on Plaza Sesamo

Lupita Nyong'o on Plaza Sesamo (Video)
If you've ever watched Spanish-language television (Univision, Telemundo, etc.) you’ll see that there's a blatant exclusion of dark-skinned, Afro-Latin people who in reality represent a major part of the Latin American population. In this video clip the Mexican-born actress Lupita Nyong'o invites the young viewers of Plaza Sesamo (the Spanish-language version of Sesame Street) to share a laugh with her. Her presence makes me smile too :)

Follow the Lilt
A great article with practical advice about finding the part of a project that really excites you. This concept would be great in practice if used during art critiques.

Malcolm Gladwell on Criticism, Tolerance and Changing Your Mind
Years ago I came to the conclusion that despite popular belief, it's OK to be a "hypocrite" and flip-flip on certain issues. This process of changing our minds is part of discovering who we are and it's crucial to overcoming prejudice. This BrainPickings.org article presents Gladwell's insightful commentary on the value of criticism as a form of discourse and how to do it right. BTW, almost everything on this site is worth a read!

Arty Bollocks Generator
I just had to inject some humor into this list and so why not a site that makes fun of the process of writing artist statements? Use this tool to generate your own art-speak infected drivel. There's even a Twitter version and you can also put your artist statement on a T-shirt.

I am Joe Scanlan
The most shocking piece I've read in the name of art activism. Curator/artist Ryan Wong created a fake persona of a white male artist who actually got selected to participate in the recent Whitney Biennial. The article is Wong's confession and post-Biennial reflection "about the realities of race, class, and gender privilege within the art world."

© Gabrielle Galimberti

 
Delicatessen with Love Photo Series by Gabrielle Galimberti
It's such a simple concept but this is one of my favorite photo series I've seen in a while… The photographer travelled to 58 different countries where he photographed women in their kitchens along with the ingredients and final presentation of their signature dish. There's so much to discover in these images as they show both the similarities and differences within each culture and their respective cuisines. I also love that each woman's pose/demeanor shows such a sense of pride over their domain and culinary expertise.

Publisher Q&A2: Qiana Mestrich of Dodge & Burn

Last year we posted a "Publisher Q&A" series, featuring 12 short interviews with a range of publishers on their presses and sites and the state of the publishing market (see the site links page for links). It was a popular series, and we've decided to add another 12 entries to the series with more extended questions.

The first posts of this second series were with Éanna de Fréine of The Velvet Cell, David Schoerner of Hassla Books, Luca Desienna of Gomma Magazine Ltd., Hannah Watson of Trolley Books, Curt Holtz, Photography Editor of Prestel Publishing, Aline Smithson of Lenscratch, Harsha Vadlamani of Galli Magazine, Heidi Romano of Unless you will and Conor Risch, Senior Editor of Photo District News.

Today we continue the series with Qiana Mestrich of Dodge & Burn.

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fototazo: What is the back-story on how Dodge & Burn formed? Was there a particular need that you saw and sought to fill?

Qiana Mestrich: Yes there was initially a need to educate myself and that's what led me to start the blog in 2007. I'll never forget having a one-on-one session with my photography teacher in college during which I asked whether or not we'd be looking at/discussing the work of African-American photographers. He answered by telling me to look up the work of Carrie Mae Weems and Lorna Simpson. Immediately after I ran to my school library and while I appreciated the introduction to their work, I was disappointed that we never saw work from these and other photographers of color during our class lectures.

The academic teaching of photography history was shaped by the canonical writings of Beaumont Newhall and John Szarkowski. These modernist, dominant narratives have only provided a mostly male, Western/Eurocentric perspective. Why can't we learn and teach an international and more inclusive history of the medium? Dodge & Burn is dedicated to exposing these non-dominant narratives and providing a platform for showing work that may otherwise go unnoticed.

f: What separates Dodge & Burn from other sites? What are its strengths as a site?

QM: Highlighting the work of photographers of color worldwide, Dodge & Burn occupies a particular niche within photography that no other blog/site does. Through interviews with contemporary photographers and profiles on those no longer with us, the blog aims to be an inspirational resource for readers with a desire to see the accomplishments of photographers of color. I also hope that it's a place where curators and art administrators can discover new work.

f: What is your process for deciding what to publish?

QM: I publish all types of photography: documentary, fine art, fashion, etc... The deciding factor for me is whether or not the work provokes thought. Photography has an undeniable ability to capture beauty, but it can also be a powerful tool to trigger thought and internal dialogue within the viewer, perhaps even challenging that viewer's understanding (or lack thereof) of the image's subject.

f: The subheading to the site is "diversity in photography history" - how has the issue of diversity in photography changed, if at all, over the time you've worked on the site?

QM: I do feel like there's been a HUGE interest in African photography and Middle Eastern photographers, to the point where very prominent festivals, museums, galleries and auction houses have curated single events around work from these regions. There's also been growing interest in Japan, India and Mexico's long photographic history. In regards to African-American photographers, it's been great to see a growing appreciation for the work of photographers/artists like Jamel Shabazz, Hank Willis Thomas and LaToya Ruby Frazier.

As a former subscriber to their magazine, I used to use PDN's 30 new and emerging photographers to watch as a barometer of the state of diversity in photography and I must say that in the past few years the lists have definitely been more inclusive.

Despite these changes, I am concerned that the near death of documentary and the trend(s) towards making work that focuses solely on the material and formal aspects of photography will again alienate those simply trying to tell the stories of their communities. Lastly, there are still many hard battles to be fought towards diversity within the contemporary photography art market.

f: What have you learned through the process of establishing Dodge & Burn that you wish you would have known beforehand or that you would pass along to others interested in publishing?

QM: There's no such thing as too niche when it comes to blogging. In fact, the more niche your topic, the better. I started this blog thinking that I was the only one interested in a more diverse history of photography and I was pleasantly surprised when the blog's readership and my Twitter followers grew.

© Qiana Mestrich, Five Mugshots, from the series "Namesake, Part I," 2013

f: How did going to graduate school affect your work on the site as well as your vision for the site and what you would like to do with it?

QM: Going to graduate school opened my mind to a world of multidisciplinary artists that are not strictly photographers but artists who intentionally choose to make photographic works depending on the message they want to convey. A recent example of this type of artist who I also recently interviewed is Rico Gatson.

f: What has been your highlight in working with Dodge & Burn?

QM: Wow, I am so grateful for this blog! Dodge & Burn has allowed me to meet other photographers/artists and bloggers from all over the world, it has afforded me the opportunity to write for other publications and has generally given me firsthand experience with social media. I must say that a personal highlight was getting emails from photography professors saying that they've used my blog as a resource/teaching aid in their classes.

f: What are the next steps for the site?

QM: Despite my busy schedule, I'm determined to keep Dodge & Burn going! Next steps are to continue with the photographer interviews, but instead of the old model of asking the same questions, I will ask questions specific to each photographer and their work. In 2014, I'd like to start publishing posts by guest bloggers/writers and do a complete site redesign...

This month Dodge & Burn will also debut a digital publication called Backbone, which will be a list of contemporary photography and artists books as well as my list of photography projects that I think should be published. Backbone is my response to a lack of diversity within the photo book (self) publishing industry and the bookmaking arts. It will be available on Dodge & Burn as a download.

Also working towards my vision of changing the way photography history is taught and I'm currently writing a proposal to teach a continuing education course at my alma mater, ICP. So stay tuned!

f100: Camille Seaman, Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, Harold Feinstein, Neal Rantoul

© Camille Seaman, This Other World / The Light Within, LeMaire Channel, Antarctica, 2007

fototazo has asked a group of 50 curators, gallery owners, blog writers, photographers, academics and others actively engaged in photography to pick two photographers that deserve (more) recognition - the underknown, the under-respected as well as not-appreciated-enough favorites. A little more information on the project is available in the first post in the series here.

Today we continue the series with responses from Qiana Mestrich and Jason Landry.

We began the series with responses from Nicholas Nixon, Matt Johnston, Blake Andrews, John Edwin Mason, Aline Smithson, Colin Pantall, Michael Werner, Liza Fetissova, Laurence Salzmann, Bryan Formhals, Richard Mosse, Shane Lavalette, Amy Stein, Amani Willett, Wayne Ford, S. Billie Mandle, Leslie K. Brown, Gordon Stettinius, Marc Feustel, Hin Chua, Adriana Rios Monsalve, Daniel Augschoell, Larissa Leclair, Elinor Carucci, Pieter Wisse, Daniel Echevarría and Natalie Minik.

Respondent: Qiana Mestrich is a fine art photographer, freelance writer and blogger at Dodge & Burn: Diversity in Photography History. This Fall, Qiana will begin her graduate studies while enrolled in the ICP-Bard MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies program. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and son.

Selections: Camille Seaman and Annu Palakunnathu Matthew

Camille Seaman
Looking at her expansive photographs of icebergs and the arctic tundra, one would never guess that Camille Seaman didn't begin to pursue photography professionally until age 32. As part of her education, Seaman also wasn't afraid to approach her photography "heroes" to ask for their help in learning valuable skills of the trade. In this way she is an inspiration to those who might be afraid to ask for help and/or think they're "too old" to get started in photography.

Read more about her amazing journey in Camille Seaman's Dodge & Burn interview.

Annu Palakunnathu Matthew
Fine art photography is seldom political, but that's the genius of Annu P. Matthew's work. Without being didactic, Matthew's series "An Indian from India" corrects and educates ignorant minds about the difference between Indians and Native Americans. Blasting stereotypes Matthew creates diptychs that juxtapose 19th century ethnographic imagery with self portraits of her as the Indian from India. Cleverly tweaked captions, like "Savage Noble" vs. "Noble Savage," add another dimension of wit to her social commentary. For more traditional photography tastes, Matthew's "Memories of India" features images that I think would've made Henri Cartier-Bresson jealous.

© Annu Palakunnathu Matthew

Respondent: Jason Landry is the Owner of Panopticon Gallery in Boston. Landry brings over 20 years of business management and fine art photography experience to the gallery. Landry received a MFA in Visual Arts from The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University and a BFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Before acquiring Panopticon Gallery in 2010, he worked at the Photographic Resource Center at Boston University in various capacities including their Education Manager, Programs and Operations Manager and was a member of their Board of Directors. Landry and his wife are avid photography collectors and he currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA.

Selections: Harold Feinstein and Neal Rantoul

Harold Feinstein began his photographic career in 1946. By the age of 19, Edward Steichen had purchased his work for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and frequently exhibited it there. In the 1950's, Steichen was getting together work for "The Family of Man" exhibition. He invited Feinstein to be in it. At that time, Feinstein was very puritanical and told Steichen, "Look, a museum is a place where they should just show work because it is art, not because it fits in to a theme." And so Feinstein politely withheld his work from the exhibition.

In his early career, Feinstein participated in the NY Photo League and is best known for his black and white documentary style, in particular, an extensive and often shown Coney Island portfolio. Feinstein states, "I often feel like I fell out of my mother's womb onto the beach on Coney Island with a Nathan's hot dog in my hand with the sounds of kids screaming on the cyclone. I just always loved that place as a kid way before I was doing photographs. It's loaded with people, and people are my favorite trees."

Quote: When your mouth drops open, click the shutter. - Harold Feinstein

© Harold Feinstein, Coney Island Teenagers, 1949

Neal Rantoul's career as a fine art photographer and educator at Northeastern University has spanned over 36 years. He has had over 50 solo exhibitions and his photographs have been published in numerous trade periodicals. In 2006, Pond Press published his first monograph, American Series, which includes photographs from Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington State and Peddock's Island, off the coast of Boston, Massachusetts.

Most people associate Rantoul as fitting into the genre of landscape photography, although there are many images he has worked on that would surprise you. One of my personal favorites by Rantoul is this image, Two Headed Calf, taken at the Spallanzani Collection at the Civic Museum, Reggio Emilia, Italy.

© Neal Rantoul